The Beginner's Guide to Wearing Colour

If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know I am a neutrals girl through and through. However sometimes even I go a bit cray on the weekend and whip out Viva Glam Miley just because! Today I'm sharing with you my top tips and products for fellow neutral-lovers who are looking to have a bit of fun and dip their toe into the scary world of colour *gasp*.


Start with Lips

Aside from nails (do they really count?) your lips are probably the easiest way of introducing a little colour. For me the thought of colourful eyeshadow struck fear into my heart, but lips were something I was a little more comfortable experimenting with.

Sheer Colour

The most subtle way to wear colour on your lips is to choose a sheer formula. Mattes are pigmented and intense, and they can be a little high-maintenance. If you don't wear colour much, you want something that isn't going to leave you feeling self-conscious. 

If you want something that's wearable on a day-to-day basis then Clinique have some lovely options. Personally I think the Chubby Stick Intense Moisturising Lip Colour Balm in Roomiest Rose (£17) and Colour Pop Lip Colour + Primer in Plum Pop (£16) are a great place to start. Roomiest Rose is a gorgeous deep pink that's sheer enough to be low-key but the formula (which is more pigmented than the standard Chubby Sticks) means you get a nice wash of colour. Plum Pop is a pretty pinky-purple colour that's one step more opaque and perfect for spring.

Feeling Confident? Go Matte

If you feel comfortable with a sheer formulation: congratulations, it's time to graduate to mattes! We're still keeping it nice and wearable but a matte finish gives you a bolder, more colourful look.

I have two more options here: the MAC Matte Lipstick in Tropic Tonic (£15.50) and the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Ibiza (£5.50 - post). Tropic Tonic is a vibrant coral that still seems to be muted enough not to be scary! Ibiza is a gorgeous pink colour that's vibrant but still wearable on an everyday basis. Both of these are nice and creamy in formula and won't make a mess, which is usually a big concern for me when I'm choosing a colourful lip.

Dialling Up Your Usual

A low-key way to introduce some colour when it comes to the cheeks is to look at what you would usually wear and dial it up a little. Here I've picked a pinky peach, because it's one of those sorts of shades that suits most people. Swap your muted nude-peach for something similar but more vibrant.

I think the Clinique Cheek Pop Blush in Ginger Pop (£17) fits the bill perfectly. The formula is really easy to work with; it's slightly highlighting and very creamy so won't make you look like a clown or anything like that. You can just subtly build the colour as you prefer. The shade itself is that perfect peachy-pink but really vibrant and it's one of my favourites for summer.

Matte Coral Cheeks

If you want to step it up a little you can go for a more vibrant colour and pick a matte formulation.

For this it has to be the Zoeva Coral Spectrum Blush Palette* (£15 - post). There is actually one shimmer shade in the top left of this palette but the others are vibrant mattes. I chose this for the colours but also for the formulation as it's very creamy and although these are super-pigmented, they still blend out really nicely. I also like that there's a nude coral in here because if you want to tone down either of the two vibrant mattes, you can simply mix a little of this in with them.

Coloured Liner

It's time to go for the jugular: eyes! Adding a coloured liner into the mix is easy-peasy. Just go for your usual gold or taupe across the lid then add in an easy-to-wear eyeliner colour like turquoise. 

My top picks here are the Pur Cosmetics Double Ego Dual Ended Eyeliner in Queensland* (£14) and KIKO Double Dare Eyeshadow & Eyeliner in 05 Gold & Teal* (£7.90). Queensland has a liquid pen end and a more traditional crayon. Both have thin, precise tips that give you a lot of control. Use the pen to do a winged liner look or if you don't want to go all the way do your usual wing in black then use this to do a little double wing above it. The formula is super long-wearing so you don't need to worry about it smudging throughout the day. Use the crayon on the upper lash line and smudge it out for a smoky look. With Gold and Teal I like to blend the bright gold cream eyeshadow (which is as long-lasting and creamy in texture as all of KIKO's shadow sticks) across the lid, use a black felt liner to do my wing and then use the creamy-textured teal on my waterline to add the subtle pop of colour underneath my eye.

Nude Eyes with a Pop of Colour in the Crease

This is such a nice, subtle way to wear colour and one I feel like you can get away with even on a workday. I tend to go for a bronzy-gold lid colour with a pink or purple in the crease.

For this I've chosen the palette that started my dalliance with colour on the eyes: the Zoeva Cocoa Blend Eyeshadow Palette (£15.50 - post). I go for the bright gold Pure Ganache as a highlight, the warm caramel brown matte Substitute for Love in the crease and the bronze-brown Subtle Blend on the outer v. I then take the deep pink shimmer Warm Notes on a pointed blending brush and add it into the crease. It really gives that something extra to the look and takes a standard nude eye to the next level.

Plummy Tones

Purple tones really bridge the gap between neutrals and colours, which makes them perfect for beginners. 

I like to use my Makeup Geek Eyeshadow Pans in Cinderella, Unexpected and Bitten (£4.95 each - post) for this sort of look. Cinderella is a pinky-nude shimmer that works great as a lid colour. I then blend Unexpected, a lilac-taupe matte, through the crease before adding the pop of colour. For that I like to use Bitten, which is a gorgeous deep wine-toned matte, on the outer v. Again I chose these because they're very easy to work with; Bitten is creamy and blends effortlessly, which is so important with a bolder colour.

Oranges and Reds

The final step on the road to colour is experimenting with orange, red and gold tones. I find these relatively easy to wear as they're really only one step further than your super-warm neutrals.

I've gone with my Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadow Pan in Magic Act (£7.95) and my Makeup Geek Eyeshadow Pans in Morocco and Goddess (£4.95 - post). Magic Act is a new addition I'm really pleased with; it's a gorgeous bright gold with a super-shimmery, dewy finish that I wear as a highlight and on the inner part of the lid. Morocco is a vibrant burnt orange matte that can be blended into the crease effortlessly. Goddess is a terracotta-red with a subtle shimmer that blend onto the outer part of my eyelid.

What are your favourite products and top tips for introducing a little colour into your makeup look?

 

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*DISCLOSURE - PRODUCTS MARKED WITH AN ASTERISK ARE PR SAMPLES/GIFTS. 
ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. PLEASE VISIT MY DISCLOSURE PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.